Excerpt from First Principles of Mechanical and Engineering Drawing It being incumbent on every one who aspires to become a really efficient Engineer, that he should possess a thorough practical knowledge of the Mechanical Draughtsman's art, we would in the outset of an attempt to explain the fundamental principles which govern its operations, observe, that the inducement to undertake such a task is the desire to place within the reach of every earnest engineering student and apprentice, a means of enabling him to read and to make such drawings as are placed before him in an engine factory to work from, and to prepare him for the subsequent study of engine and machine design. It is assumed by the majority of engineering students and apprentices, that the drawing practised in the Drawing Office will be taught them upon their first admission to it, but an experience of many years in some of the principal offices in England, has made the writer alive to the fact, that so far as the "principles" which underlie the practice of the draughtsman's art are concerned, absolutely nothing is taught the student, and that if he ever acquires a knowledge of them, it will be by his own unaided study, independent of any drawing-office help. With a view, then, to the acquisition by the student of this all-important knowledge, in the best possible way, we have in the following pages formulated a method of imparting it, which from practical experience as a draughtsman, and teacher, we have found answers every requirement. Whether that method is an improvement on any now adopted, is left to those who earnestly follow its exposition to determine. Before proceeding with that exposition, we would, however, put before the student, some facts bearing upon the study of drawing (and Mechanical Drawing more particularly), which may help him to appreciate the necessity that exists for his acquiring the ability to draw, if he desires to rise in his profession. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.